


The Accountant's Conference

by alldaydream



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Friendship, Gen, M/M, Patrick and Ray would totally go to an accountant's conference, the tiniest bit of David at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:20:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23278504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alldaydream/pseuds/alldaydream
Summary: Patrick left home to attend an Accountant's Conference in Elmdale looking for a new beginning when he meets a friendly face.-Set during 3x05
Relationships: Patrick Brewer & Ray Butani
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	The Accountant's Conference

**Author's Note:**

> I'm rewatching the show for the hundredth time when the mention of the Accountant's Conference in 3x05 sparked an interesting thought: what if Patrick met Ray there?
> 
> Because a lot of us wonder how his button face made his way to Schitt's Creek and I'm convinced this is the answer. Because only episodes later he meets the love of his life. 
> 
> This is my take on that thought.

Patrick feels himself nodding off for the third time before he decides to leave the seminar early. He didn’t _really_ need to attend the Business Tax Essentials seminar, but he figured it might be better than heading back to his hotel room early to wallow in his loneliness. That is until his lack of sleep started to kick in. 

It’s the second day of the Accountant’s Conference in Elmdale, two days since he left home to hopefully find something new, something exciting. And his exciting adventure led him here, to a dusty, old conference room at a Comfort Suites Inn at a town five hours away from home. 

The Small Business Grants seminar was a little exciting at least.

He wasn’t going to come, his break up from Rachel still fresh and leaving a sting every time he thought about it. But it seemed like the kind of distraction he needed to help him move on with his life, _an exciting new adventure,_ his mind tells him again. 

His car is packed to the brim with his belongings, only having moved out of his apartment with Rachel four days ago, leaving for the conference two days after that, his parents reassuring him his old room would be ready for him to move in to once he came back. 

But he doesn’t want to go back. Because it’s the same cycle he’s lived for the last eight years since graduating from college and Patrick wants something different, _needs_ something different. 

He walks down the hallway towards the main lobby, stretching his neck muscles from side to side when his stomach alerts him of his current state of hunger. The last thing he ate was a stale muffin from the complimentary continental breakfast a good seven hours ago, and the more he thinks about it, the more his stomach clenches with pain. 

Making a quick detour to the small café connected to the hotel, Patrick picks up a suspicious looking turkey club sandwich and a lemonade and sets off to find a table to enjoy his sandwich in peace. But his hopes are dashed because every table is occupied with throngs of people in business casual fashion and Patrick moves to go back up to his room by himself when a voice from beside him says, “You can sit here if you’d like.”

Patrick turns and looks down at a man with dark hair and a darker mustache, a kind smile on his lips. There’s an empty seat across from him and Patrick contemplates if he’d rather go upstairs to his empty room. But he hasn’t really spoken with anyone these last few days and the itch for human interaction overrides everything. “Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

“Oh it’s no problem at all,” the man says, reaching his hand out. “Ray Butani.”

“Patrick Brewer,” Patrick says shaking the man’s hand with a grin. “Enjoying the conference?”

“Oh yes, I come every year,” Ray says patting the black leather portfolio in front of him. “It helps with managing my many businesses.”

“Businesses?” Patrick asks with some interest as he unwraps his sandwich. “What kind of businesses?”

“I own a photography business, a fashion styling business, a real estate agency, a travel agency, and have just begun a closet reorganization service,” Ray lists off proudly.

“Oh,” Patrick says blinking at him. “That’s a lot of businesses.”

“Yes it’s very fulfilling,” Ray responds. “What about you?”

“I’m actually in between jobs,” Patrick says taking a bite of his sandwich and immediately putting it down. It’s stale and the meat feels slimy in his mouth. Patrick pushes the sandwich away from him and opens his lemonade instead. “I recently left my job as a data analyst about five hours north from here.”

“What made you leave if you don’t mind me asking?”

Patrick shrugs his shoulders and says, “I hated it. It wasn’t something I wanted to continue doing so I made the decision to leave. I actually recently made a lot of big decisions,” Patrick replies thinking about Rachel’s broken heart again. He winces to himself and takes a deep sip of his lemonade. 

“Change is good,” Ray says nodding his head. “It keeps us on our toes. So what are your plans now?”

“I don’t know,” Patrick says honestly. “I got the email notification reminding me of this conference and I thought maybe there could be something here that might spark some interest for me.”

“What do you envision yourself doing?”

“I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur,” Patrick says revealing himself to Ray. “I’ve always wanted to run my own business or help businesses get off the ground.”

“Hm,” Ray hums to himself, leaning back and crossing his arms. “Small businesses?”

“Yeah,” Patrick says, admitting to himself for the first time in a long time what he wants. “I want to help small businesses,” he says with more conviction. 

“Well,” Ray says leaning in close. “On top of my many businesses, I actually aide those who are looking to incorporate in surrounding communities. And I’ve actually been looking for someone to help me.”

“Really?” Patrick asks surprised. 

Ray nods his head with a smile. “My closet reorganization service is still fairly new and I’ve been trying to make time to really get it started and I’ve fallen behind on some of my clients. I could also use a little bit of help with managing the books of all my businesses. Maybe you can come and work for me for a little bit?”

Patrick feels his heart rate kick up a notch and finds himself nodding his head before he can stop himself. “Are you sure?”

“It wouldn’t be for too long,” Ray adds quickly. “And I can’t pay you much. But I have an extra room in my house I can rent out to you for a very low price.”

Patrick knows that he should be more rational about this, take a step back and really think about what he’s being offered, by a stranger no less. A stranger that could be a serial killer. Many serial killers are known for having nice smiles.

But he feels his gut pulling him towards something, something that makes him feel excited for the first time in a long time. Something that gives him a tiniest bit of hope that maybe his life is actually meant for more.

His belongings are already in his car. He doesn’t have a job or a fiancé to go back home to. All he has is to move forward. 

_An exciting adventure._ What’s more exciting than following a strange man to his home to help him manage his many businesses?

Before he loses his nerve or lets his rationale convince him of being realistic, Patrick says, “Okay.”

“Wonderful!” Ray says clapping his hands together. He opens his portfolio and hands Patrick a card. “My business card.”

Patrick takes it and reads the front, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. “Schitt’s Creek? There’s a town called Schitt’s Creek?”

“Oh yes, a lovely place to live in.”

“You must get a lot of jokes,” Patrick says chuckling to himself, but Ray gives him a blank look and cocks his head to the side. “What kind of jokes?”

“Um,” Patrick says his eyebrows furrowing together. “You know, because of the name?”

“Oh yes, it’s named after our mayor’s family. He’s very funny,” Ray says nodding his head, smiling. 

“Okay,” Patrick says unsurely. “Why don’t you tell me more about your businesses.”

“Sure! But why don’t we go and get some real food? There’s an Italian bistro around the corner from the hotel. From where I’m from, the food isn’t much better than the sandwich you just had so I like to take advantage of eating here in Elmdale as much as I can before I head back home.”

“That sounds great to me,” Patrick says standing from his chair, throwing his sandwich and empty bottles of lemonade away in the trash. 

Patrick and Ray chat as they walk towards the entrance, Ray going into detail of his business plan for his closet reorganization service when a woman approaches them, standing with one hip jutting out and crossing her arms. “Hello gentlemen,” she purrs with a sultry voice. 

“Oh, hello?” Patrick says furrowing his eyebrow at her. She’s dressed in business attire, but her gaze is hot and heavy and Patrick feels very uncomfortable. 

“Are you here for the Accountant’s Conference?” She asks with a quirk of an eyebrow. “Because if you are, I have a tantalizing service for you.”

“Oh, well what kind of service-” Patrick begins to say before Ray cuts him off abruptly. “We’re okay for now, thank you,” Ray says. “Come along Patrick, the bistro has wonderful breadsticks.”

“O-Okay?” Patrick says confused as he follows Ray out. “What was that about?”

“You don’t want to know,” Ray says with a smile and tells Patrick about Schitt’s Creek and all it has to offer. 

* * *

“Wait, so you’re telling me Ray is responsible for our complex and ardent love story?” David asks wrinkling his nose. 

Many years have passed now since the conference, Patrick rubbing his thumb across his husband’s knuckles as they sit in the same Italian bistro where Ray waxed poetics about the benefits of felt coated hangers. 

“We owe him some credit, yes,” Patrick says with a twinkle in his eye. 

David sighs dramatically. “Fine, he can design our closet. But I _demand_ he install soft close drawer slides. _And_ I get to choose the wood finish.”

Patrick grins and brings David’s hand up to his lips, kissing the gold bands on his left hand. “Anything for you.”


End file.
